MLCS 8377 15-Piece Router Bit Set

The MLCS 8377 15-Piece Router Bit Set with Carbide-Tipped 1/2-Inch Shanks is the best selling router bit set by a mile and it’s easy to see why. With 15 top quality carbide-tipped bits for under $40—it’s a complete no-brainer.

If you’ve just bought your first router and you need a comprehensive set of router cutters to get you started—a whole lot more than just get you started, in fact—you really won’t find a better set anywhere. A lot of woodworkers aren’t ever going to need to buy another cutter—plus you get a well-constructed, handy wooden storage box to keep them in and keep them safe—you really don’t want to have your cutters rolling around in the bottom of your toolbox.

You’ll read that some woodworkers build up a collection of router bits that costs five times as much as the router itself did, but unless you’re a professional or do a hell of a lot of routing, you really don’t need to spend that kind of money. What you need is a set of quality cutters that allows you to do 95% of all the routing tasks you’re ever likely to want to do, without breaking the bank—and that’s where this set comes into its own.

Now, that sounds pretty impressive, but if you’re new to routing (which by definition covers most people buying a starter set) then that list probably isn’t very helpful (although we can all work out what a straight cutter looks like!)—and that’s why I’ve included the handy image on the left showing the various different profiles so you can see what each one actually does.

15 profiles is only the beginning

You’re not just limited to 15 profiles either. By using a combination of cutters one after the other you can create more complex profiles—basically you can design your own bespoke profiles. The thing to remember is that any cutter can make more than one type of cut depending on how you use them—you can vary the different parts of the bit that you use, remove the bearing or alter the depth of cut—here’s a link to an article showing you how to create 17 different profiles from just 3 cutters—17 profiles 3 bits